Vaping & Substance Abuse
A Quick Guide for Students and Parents
A National Epidemic
Helpful Links
Vape
- Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, even ones that claim to be nicotine free have tested positive for nicotine.
- E-cigarettes can contain other harmful substances besides nicotine. E-cigarette aerosol is NOT harmless “water vapor.”
- Pod based cigarettes contains as much nicotine as a pack of 20 regular cigarettes.
- E-cigarettes can be used to deliver marijuana and other drugs.
Substance Abuse
- Alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco are substances most commonly used by adolescents.
- About half of 9th through 12th grade students reported ever having used marijuana.
- By 12th grade, about two-thirds of students have tried alcohol.
- Research shows marijuana use can have permanent effects on the developing brain when use begins in adolescence.
Substance Use & Mental Health
- Teens struggling with emotional problems often turn to alcohol or drug use to help manage painful or difficult feelings.
- Kids who are anxious or depressed may feel more emotionally "even" if they drink or use marijuana.
- Alcohol and drugs affect the same brain regions that are at play in behavior disorders like ADHD and ODD.
A Parent Perspective:
"As a parent, I was worried about my children falling into the “vaping trap”. E-cigarettes were
different from the cigarettes I grew up with. I did not know what they looked like or what to be
concerned about. I found it helpful to educate myself. I was amazed to find out that vaping was
more lethal than cigarettes. Hearing other parents’ testimonials helped me to feel more aware of
what I was dealing with."
Click below to see Parent's Testimonials and Stories, on the Parents Against Vaping website.
Signs Your Child Might be Vaping
More than one in five high schoolers and one in 20 middle schoolers reported that they had vaped within the past month. This year, the epidemic of youth vaping has continued to grow. More than 3.6 million U.S. school children vape, according to the Surgeon General. Below are Signs Your Child May Be Vaping:
- Finding unusual or unfamiliar items
Behavioral changes, mood swings, agitation
Shortness of breath
Poor performance
Sweet fragrances
Weight loss
Nausea, vomiting
Mouth sores, abnormal coughing, throat-clearing
Lung injury, chest pain
Seizures
What We Are Doing To Help
You are not in this alone. As you work within your home to address vaping and substance use, your child’s school site is ready to support your efforts through education and school-based reduction and cessation services for students.
Each school site has a Wellness Center where students can find information on vaping/substance use as well as how to get access to community-based treatment. RJUHSD Wellness Centers offer on-site, referral-based access to Teen Intervene, a Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) for Substance Use program facilitated by trained Wellness Center staff. Teen Intervene is an evidence-based program for adolescents with mild or moderate substance use disorders and sessions cover all drugs with a specific focus on alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco use.
If you want or need support addressing use or quitting, speak to your school counselor or any Wellness Center staff to get started or submit a referral for services and the Wellness Center will reach out to get started.
How You Can Help Your Teen
Want to talk with your kid about vaping but don’t know how? Here are a few tips to get that conversation started:
Before the talk:
Be patient and ready to listen - your goal is to start and maintain the conversation. This is not the time to argue, lecture, or judge. This is the time to listen and seek to understand.
Set a positive example by being nicotine-free
Starting the conversation:
Find the right moment and time - using the environment is a natural way to begin the discussion (driving past a vape shop, seeing an advertisement, seeing someone vape, etc…). Choose a time when things are more relaxed, not when anyone is rushed, upset, doing homework, etc.
Appeal to your child’s strengths/good judgement - talk about how trustworthy they are and that you have observed good decision making in the past. Just because they ask questions about vaping does not mean that they are doing it.
Ask open-ended questions - “what are your thoughts about vaping”, “do you know people who vape and how has it changed your view of them?”, "what would you do if someone offered you a vape?" versus "have you ever thought about trying it?".
Answer their questions and remember that it is OK to say “I don’t know”. This could be an opportunity to research the information together.
Connect vaping and substance use with interests in their life (sports, playing an instrument, singing, etc…). How would vaping affect their ability to carry out their hobbies and interests?
Equip your kids with a response plan. Expect that they will find themselves in a situation where there is vaping and talk with them about different responses to the situations and ways to say “no”.
Be mindful of your child’s current stress level and mental health. Many kids use substances as a release for challenging feelings. Your awareness of your child’s mental health can guide you into finding healthier, more appropriate coping strategies.
For additional information, examples of conversation starters, and examples of responses click here and here.